Circuit breaker



Feb. 25, 19360 R, g; so s 2,032,187

C IRCUIT BREAKER Filed Sept. 21, 1934 INVENTOR Pas/nus CARL Para?fiomz/vselv,

BY WRNEY Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCUITBREAKER Rasmus Carl Peter Sorensen, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 21,1934, Serial No. 744,871

14 Claims.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the stamped out blank from which the lever of Figs. 2 and 3is formed.

Fig. 5 shows the rubbing contact or block be- 3 fore being attached tothe lever.

the spring is formed and before it is bent to shape.

Fig. 7 shows the step of slitting or grooving the I portion I! of thelever.

Fig. 7a shows the final position of the split parts.

Fig. 8 shows a modified means of attaching the spring to the lever arm.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 each show other and modifled means of attaching thelever arm and spring. In Fig. 1 the timer comprises a usual housing IIIin which is mounted the rotatable cam which moves the timing lever I2about its pivot I3 to make and break the circuit through the currentcontacting disc I4 engaging the stationary cooperative contact. Arubbing contact or block I5 secured to the lever arm I2 engages the camII for moving the lever arm I2 outward about its pivot against theaction of the leaf spring I6. This spring is secured to the housingwearing properties due to the circuit being rapidly made and brokenthrough this contact.

To provide a support or seat for the disc I4, the end portion I! of thelever (see Fig. 4) is longitudinally split by a tool I8 as illustratedin Fig. 7, so that the half portions I9 and 20 may then be bent intosubstantial alinement with one another and at substantial right anglesto the main body portion of the lever I2 (as shown in Fig. 7a).

Such a support provides a good foundation to which the contact disc I4may be secured in the usual manner. From Figs. 3 and 6 it will be seen 5the spring I6 is longitudinally slotted at 2| in an intermediate portionof the spring where it passes adjacent the lever pivot. The end portionof the spring for attachment to the lever is bent into the form of asaddle adapted to fit around one 10 edge portion of the lever andprovided with the side faces 22 and 23 which are adapted to liecontiguous to the side faces of the lever.

In forming this saddle the spring is given a twist 24 (as shown in Figs.2 and 3) and a rivet 25 passes through the two sides of the saddleclamping the lever arm I2 between them. This rivet passes through theperforation 21 in the lever arm I2 and in order to better secure andFig. 6 is a plan view of the material of which interlock the saddleportion with the lever arm a notch 28 is cut in the edge of the leverarm about which the saddle passes so that the ends of the saddle may fitin the sides of this notch.

Another notch 29 on the opposite edge of the lever is shaped to receivethe rubbing contact or block I5, such contact being of wear resistinginsulating material having the perforations 30 drilled therein toreceive the rivets 3| securing the rubbing contact or block to laterallyextending lugs or flanges 33 and 34 on the saddle. These 0 flanges areperforated at 32 to receive the rivets 3I and in this manner the rubbingcontact or block is tightly held to the lever I2.

Any thrusts on the rubbing contact or block I5 which are normal to thelongitudinal axis of the 35 lever are transmitted through the rivets 3|and 25 whereas any thrusts lengthwise of the lever are transmitted notonly through the side flanges 33 and '34 but also through the rivet 25and through the sides of the notch 28. Within the 40 pivotal endportionof the lever is mounted the usual bushing 35 of insulating material towhich are secured eye portions 36 adapted to clamp the lever betweenthem after the outer ends of these eyes have been contracted or squeezedinto the insulating bushing 35 to hold them in place. Other well knownmeans of mounting the insulat ing bushing in the end portion of thelever I2 may also be used.

In Fig. 8 it will be seen that the saddle 31 is not integral with thespring I60, but is secured thereto by having lateral flange portions onthe saddle bent to the shape illustrated at 38 for engagement with abent end of the spring Ilia.

In Fig. 9 the saddle 310 has a shorter lateral flange 42 over which'abent end 4| of the spring I60 is secured by rivet or in other ways.

In Fig. 10 the saddle 311) has laterally extending flanges 39 to each ofwhich the spring 16b is clamped by the rivet 40.

The saddle 31b in Fig. 11 has its laterally extending flange 43 belowthe lever where the spring IE1) is secured by the rivet 43. 7

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the betterattachment of the rubbing contact or block to the lever and thesimplicity of the construction inasmuch as it is not necessary to havethe rubbing contact bent or molded in place. The opposite laterallyextending half portions or lugs I9 and 20 are more securely attached tothe lever when formed from a solid lever by the cleaving operation,instead of when the lever is formed in two thicknesses of thin metal.Where the lever is solid there is less danger to separate vibrations orchatter being set up in one part of the lever from the other under thevery high speed operation necessary today in these lever arms forcombustion engines.

It is also believed that the base of the half portions or lugs l9 and 20is stronger when it is constituted by thefull thickness of the lever arm!2, than is the case when these lateral lugs are each bent from portionsof a lever that is not integral and solid.

The spring l6 being integral with the saddle provides a strongerconstruction in Fig. 2 than is shown in Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive,although these Figs. 8 to 11 provide a substantial and fairly rigidattachment between the spring and lever through the saddle extendingover an edge of the lever.

The support for the rubbing contact or block [5 may also be formed insubstantially the same way as is the support 20 for the electricalcontact M, that is by splitting or cleaving a portion of the lever armand spreading the laterally extending split portions to form a supportextending at right angles to the main body portion of the lever, and towhich the rubbing contact or block I5 may be secured by rivets orotherwise. 7

In this latter event the support formed would be substantiallyhorizontal and therefore the rubbing contact or block I5 shouldpreferably be formed of 7 an L-shaped piece of molded or otherinsulating material. The formation of a support for the rubbing contactor block by a similar process to that used in the formation of theelectrical contact support is satisfactory either alone or incombination with some additional type of support for the rubbing contactor block, such as the use of the saddleillustrated herein to strengthenand reinforce the rubbing cont-act or block support.

I claim: 7 1. A circuit breaker lever of the type adapted for timers forignition apparatus and having a holding the sides of the saddlesubstantially contiguous the side faces of the lever, and a rubbingblock securedto said saddle.

3. A timing lever carrying a bent metal saddle over an edge portion ofthe lever, securing means holding the sides of the saddle substantiallycontiguous the side faces of the lever, and a rubbing block secured tosaid saddle by laterally bent flanges on said saddle.

4. A timing lever carrying a bent metal saddle over an edge portion ofthe lever, securing means holding the sides of the saddle substantiallycontiguous the side faces of the lever,.and a rubbing block secured tosaid saddle, a pivot for said lever,

a leaf spring secured to said saddle, and passing around the pivot forcooperation with a housing in which the lever is located.

5. A timing lever carrying a bent metal saddle over an edge portion ofthe lever, securing means holding the sides of the saddle substantiallycontiguous the side faces of the lever, and a rubbing block secured tosaid saddle, a pivot for said lever, a leaf spring secured to saidsaddle, and passing around the-pivot for cooperationlwith a housing inwhich the lever is located, said spring being integrally secured to saidsaddle by slitting an intermediate portion of the springto said saddleand twisting sides of the spring adjacent the end:-

of said slitan amount suificient to have the plane of the saddle sidefaces substantially normal to the plane of the major portion of saidspring.

6. A timing lever carrying a bent metal saddle over an edge portion ofthe lever, securingmeans holding the sides of the saddle substantiallycon tiguous the side faces of the lever, and a rubbing block secured tosaid saddle, a pivot for said lever, a leaf spring secured to saidsaddleyand passing around the pivot for cooperation with a;

housing in which the lever is located-said spring being secured to saidsaddle adjacent the endof the saddle toward said pivot and away fromsaid rubbing block. p

'7. A timing lever having laterally extending pairs of lugs, one pairfor attachment to a circuit make and break contact and another pair forattachment to a rubbing-block, one of said pairs of lugs being fastenedto the lever bodyand another pair being integral and-of abouthalf thethickness of the lever body portion.

.8. The combination with a spring'for a timing lever having an'intermediate longitudinalslot, an end portionof the spring sides beingtwisted to form a saddleextendingaround an edge por-'; tion of thelever, securing means passing through the lever and through oppositeside. portions of. the saddle, laterally extending lugs on the saddleand a rubbing block secured to said lugs.

9. A timing lever having a support for a con-: tact, said supportcomprising. laterally extending lugs formed by cleaving an end portionof the lever body in the plane thereof and oppositely spreading thesimilarly shaped lugs.

10. A timing lever comprising a, rubbing block and securing meanstherefor, thefopposite edges of the lever being notched to assist inpositioning said rubbing block and its securing means.

11. A timing lever comprising an. electrical contact portion adjacentone end of the lever, means for pivotally mounting the lever adjacentits other end, a rubbingblock carried by an intermediate portionofthelever, a saddle extending around an edgeof the, lever to which saidrubbing block is secured, and a leaf spring for moving the lever in onedirection, said spring being integrally connected to said saddle.

12. A timing lever having a rubbing contact and an electrical contact, asupport for each contact, each of said supportscornprisinglaterallyextending portions integral with the body portion of the lever, the bodyportion of, the lever being solid and of substantially double thethickness of the laterally extending contact supporting portions wherebyeach of said supporting portions constitutes a substantially fiatcontinuous plate extending across an edge of the lever.

13. A timing lever having a contact adjacent one end portion and arubbing block carried by an intermediate portion of the lever, lugs towhich said block is secured, said lugs being fastened to the lever, aspring for moving said lever in one direction, said spring having itsend portion contiguous the lever bent and secured against the side faceof the lever.

14. A timing lever provided with a bushing of insulating material forpivotally mounting the lever adjacent an end portion, an electriccontact plug secured adjacent the opposite end portion of said lever, arubbing block located intermediate said electric contact and saidbushing for cooperation with a mechanism for actuating said lever, asaddle secured over a longitudinal edge of. said lever and provided withflanges projecting outwardly from the lever and saddle, said rubbingblock being secured to said flanges and extending across thelongitudinal edge of the lever which is opposite that around which thesaddle extends, and a leaf spring secured to said saddle on oppositesides of said lever intermediate the bushing and electric contact foractuating the lever in one direction.

RASMUS CARL PETER SORENSEN.

